Frederiksborg slot, Audienssalen. To forskellige udkast til loftsdekoration til kuplen 1681 - 1682

Curator: Lambert van Haven's preparatory drawings, "Frederiksborg slot, Audienssalen. To forskellige udkast til loftsdekoration til kuplen," executed between 1681 and 1682, offer an intimate glimpse into the design process of the iconic Frederiksborg Palace. What strikes you first about these sketches? Editor: It's all lightness, airiness. It feels like gazing up at clouds, even though the baroque detailing suggests grand architecture. A preliminary drawing like this lets us into the initial imagining before gravity and reality kick in! Curator: Precisely. The ornament, executed in pencil, presents us with two distinct ceiling designs for the Audience Chamber. We should situate this work in the context of Absolutism in Denmark and how royal architecture at the time reflected the king's power and aspirations. The Frederiksborg Palace served as a crucial stage for royal display. Editor: Royal display, yes, but the process… look at the raw edges of the paper, the smudges of graphite! The bottom half has these whimsical cherubs peeking out behind decorative patterns. It almost seems they're inviting us to collaborate in making it our own fantasy space. Curator: Note that one sketch shows square paneling while the other exhibits circular florets; considering royal audiences occurred in this space, the architectural features communicated powerful messages about order and wealth. Both were central to the construction of royal identity and governance during this time. Editor: Thinking of royal audiences, do you think someone might have thought, "Those cherubs look a bit...silly?" Did the Baroque always take itself so seriously, or was there room for wit even then? Curator: We see a fusion of classical motifs blended with the Baroque emphasis on grandeur and theatricality. While some interpretations might suggest rigid adherence to royal representation, elements such as the dynamic cherubs hint at playful tensions, echoing underlying questions of divine right. How far could courtly style be pushed? Editor: It makes you wonder about van Haven. Was he a rebel at heart, smuggling humor into high art, or just following directions with panache? Maybe it's neither...and simply the space for the "divine" left a space open enough for real, complex, even playful life. Curator: Perhaps, as it often does, this drawing presents more questions than answers. Editor: I agree. Ultimately, van Haven reminds me of how important it is to play and revise, especially before cementing ourselves into ceilings.